MARCH 30: Smith had his surgery this week, tweets Pavlovic. The initial read of the doctors is now that Smith can be back in the big leagues by next May, Pavlovic adds.

MARCH 24, 1:23pm: Smith will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, per Pavlovic. His doctors are optimistic that he’ll be healthy by the start of next season (Twitterlinks).

7:08am: Giants left-hander Will Smith will decide Friday whether to undergo Tommy John surgery on his ailing elbow, but it doesn’t appear he’ll avoid the procedure. Both doctors who examined the reliever’s elbow this week have recommended the surgery, manager Bruce Bochy announced Thursday (via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area).

Smith’s elbow has been an issue since the outset of spring training in late February, when the Giants had to shut him down for a week on account of inflammation. The injury didn’t look serious at the time, but the discomfort returned Monday and is likely to yield surgery. If he does go under the knife, Smith will still accrue service time for the next year-plus that he misses. The 27-year-old is in his second of four arbitration-eligible seasons and will make $2.5MM in 2017.

This would have been the first full season in San Francisco for Smith, whom the Giants acquired from the Brewers at last year’s trade deadline. Playoff-bound San Francisco gave up right-hander Phil Bickford, who’s now suspended but was among Baseball America’s top 50 prospects prior to the deal, and catcher Andrew Susac in an effort to bolster its bullpen. Smith warranted that return thanks to his quality output in Kansas City and Milwaukee from 2013 through the first half of last season, and he also fared nicely in his first action with the Giants. Over an 18 1/3-inning span, he recorded a 2.95 ERA ball with 12.8 K/9 against 4.4 BB/9. All told, Smith logged a 3.13 ERA, 11.91 K/9, 3.58 BB/9 and a 42.6 percent ground-ball rate in 198 2/3 frames over the previous four years.

The loss of Smith will clearly be a significant one for the Giants, whose bullpen was a mediocre group last year that suffered no shortage of late-game meltdowns. Smith would have been San Francisco’s top lefty option in relief this season, but the bullpen will instead have to rely on Josh Osich, Steven Okert and perhaps fifth starter candidate Ty Blach as its primary southpaws.

Giants reliever Will Smith did not get the news he hoped for after undergoing an MRI last night. GM Bobby Evans told reporters that the scan showed possible ligament damage that will require a second opinion, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area was among those to report via Twitter.

It’s not yet clear whether there’ll be a need for a surgical procedure, and there’s evidently some hope that a rehabilitation approach will be possible, but the team is bracing itself for a significant loss of time. Evans says that “there are things on [the] MRI that didn’t necessarily show up on [the] last MRI,” Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (linkstoTwitter).

Smith, 27, underwent testing earlier in the spring, likely providing a rather clear baseline for the more recent imaging. While he was cleared to resume throwing at that time, the southpaw exited his outing yesterday with renewed elbow pain.

It’s not clear at this point what options are on the table, and we likely won’t know more until Smith’s forthcoming evaluation. There are an increasing variety of possible treatments for UCL injuries, ranging from rehab (sometimes supplemented by platelet-rich plasma and/or stem cell injections) to ligament repair to full-blown ligament replacement (the legendary Tommy John procedure). While the best-case scenario involves a few months’ downtime, the most serious outcome can require more than a year-long layoff — and isn’t always fully successful in allowing a return.

Needless to say, losing the high-quality lefty for any stretch would represent a blow to the Giants’ pen. There are several interesting southpaw fill-in options on the 40-man. Relievers Steven Okert and Josh Osich have each shown their talent at the game’s highest level, and starter Ty Blach could also represent a versatile option.

Giants lefty Will Smith is headed for an MRI after leaving today’s outing with pain in his pitching elbow, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters including Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (Twitter link).

This isn’t the first time that Smith has dealt with elbow problems this spring. In fact, it’s not the first time that he required an MRI this spring, though the first one did come back clean. Smith missed quite a bit of time last year, though that occurred due to a knee injury.

Still, the fact that Smith is again dealing with discomfort isn’t a great sign. And as Pavlovic notes, it make it rather unlikely that the southpaw reliever will be ready for Opening Day, as his prior issue delayed his progression. In fact, today’s appearance was just his second of the spring.

San Francisco added Smith at last year’s trade deadline, giving up righty Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac to control Smith through 2019 via arbitration. The club is paying him $2.5MM this year; Smith earned $1.475MM in 2015 as a Super Two.

Upon joining the Giants, Smith threw 18 1/3 innings of 2.95 ERA ball with 12.8 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. He has largely produced quality results ever since a poor rookie stint as a starter. Over the course of the 2016 campaign, though, Smith averaged just 91.9 mph with his four-seamer, about a mile and a half below his prior two seasons. He also dipped to an 11.5% swinging-strike rate after posting a career-best 15.2% rate in the prior year.

While a setback at this time is obviously disappointing, there is a clear glimmer of hope here. Smith reported only similar discomfort to what he had experienced previously, and didn’t experience a “pop.” (Via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle; Twitterlinks.) The lefty says he hopes it’s just a continuation of that prior issue, adding that he’s “trying not to panic.”

Giants lefty Will Smith has been shut down for a week after experiencing inflammation in his pitching elbow, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News was among those to report (Twitterlinks). Fortunately, an MRI has already returned clean, so it seems there’s no worry of a major injury. But while it’s still early, San Francisco’s plan to get Smith ready for Opening Day is already on a tight timeline, Baggarly notes. So long as he can progress after his rest, Smith will be given six spring appearances in preparation for the season.

Here’s more from the National League:

The Brewers, like the Rays, kept tabs on Matt Wieters up to his agreement with the Nationals, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. Though Milwaukee GM David Stearns wouldn’t acknowledge whether an offer was made, he acknowledged that there was contact. “I would say we have regular contact with many agents, including Scott,” Stearns explained. “So Matt’s name came up, and we made sure we understood where the market was for him and what the potential fits were. But nothing really beyond that.”

Infielder Stephen Drew likely won’t see as much time with the Nationals as he could have elsewhere, but as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes, he nevertheless chose to reprise his role as a key reserve in D.C. His comfort with the team came into play, along with family considerations. Drew also discussed his bout of vertigo last year, which occurred due to an ear infection. He dealt with symptoms through the postseason and into the offseason, but seems to be back to normal as camp opens.

While Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is entering only his second full season in the majors, there’s still plenty at stake, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes. Refining his approach at the plate and work in the field certainly seem to be on the agenda, and whether he can successfully turn his talent into consistent productivity could have a major impact on the organization’s plans. Salisbury suggests that a player such as Manny Machado could become a serious consideration for the team — he’ll be a free agent after 2018 — depending upon how Franco progresses. While it’s obviously too soon to factor in players such as Machado in any meaningful way, as Salisbury acknowledges, Philadelphia is no doubt already thinking about where Franco will end up in the long run. It does seem worth noting that, even if he isn’t able to lock down the job at third for the foreseeable future, he could ultimately be a candidate to shift across the diamond to first base.

Quite frankly, there were too many arbitration agreements today to reasonably stuff into one post. So here’s a rundown of the National League players that have avoided arbitration on smaller deals (American League deals here). You can see all of the arbitration “action” thus far in a sortable, filterable format by checking out MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker. All projections referenced in this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:

Reliever George Kontos gets $1.75MM from the Giants, Heyman tweets. He had projected at $1.7MM.

The Diamondbacks also reached agreement with lefty Patrick Corbin, righty Randall Delgado, and catcher Chris Herrmann, per Jack Magruder of Fan Rag (linkstoTwitter). Delgado gets $1.775MM and Herrmann receives $937,500. As for Corbin, he’ll take home $3.95MM, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), which falls a bit shy of his $4.2MM projection.

Infielder Eduardo Nunez will receive $4.2MM from the Giants, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). San Francisco has also reached agreement with lefty Will Smith, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). He’ll receive $2.5MM, just over his $2.3MM projection, Heyman tweets.

The Phillies settled at $4.2MM with righty Jeanmar Gomez, per Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). He falls just a big shy of his $4.6MM projection.

The Cardinals have announced arb deals with Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist. Rosenthal receives $6.4MM, per Heyman (via Twitter), which is just $100K over his projection. Siegrist projected at $1.9MM, but his salary has yet to be reported.

Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom have each avoided arbitration with the Mets. Harvey gets $5.125MM in his second arb year, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter). Meanwhile, deGrom will receive $4.05MM in his first trip through the arb process, per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin (via Twitter). New York has also agreed with lefty Josh Edgin, Rubin tweets, though terms remain unreported.

Chris Owings and the Diamondbacks have settled at $2.3MM (compared to $2.1MM projection), per Heyman. The 25-year-old, who posted a .731 OPS in 2016 while logging 466 plate appearances between shortstop, center field and second base, is under team control through 2019.

The Dodgers agreed to one-year deals with their four remaining arbitration-eligible players, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. Yasmani Grandal will make $5.5MM (compared to $5.3MM projection) after a season in which he posted an .816 OPS with 27 homers. He’ll be eligible for arbitration one last time before he can become a free agent after the 2018 season. Luis Avilan ($1.5MM) and Alex Wood ($2.8MM) were eligible for the first time, while Josh Fields will earn $1.05MM in his second year of eligibility. That trio will remain under team control through 2019.

The Reds and Billy Hamilton settled at $2.625MM for the upcoming season, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Hamilton had a breakout second half and finished the year with a .260/.321/.343 batting line, plus three homers and a whopping 58 steals (in 66 tries). He cleared his $2.3MM projection by a fair amount and is controllable through 2019 via arbitration.

Zack Cozart and Tony Cingrani agreed to one-year deals with the Reds, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitterlinks), as did right-hander Blake Wood, tweets Heyman. Cozart, a free agent next winter, handily topped his $4.7MM projection after hitting .252/.308/.425 with 16 homers and premium defense at short. Cingrani gets $1.825MM, per Heyman, which is just a hair shy of his $1.9MM projection. Wood had a solid season out of the Cincinnati bullpen, with a 3.99 ERA in 76 2/3 innings after signing as a minor league free agent. He can be controlled through 2018.

Derek Norris and Tanner Roark both agreed to one-year deals with the Nationals, per Heyman (Twitter links). Norris will get $4.2MM (compared to a $4MM projection), while Roark earns $4.315MM (compared to what looks to have been an overly aggressive $6.1MM projection).

Hector Rondon and the Cubs avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.8MM, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter). He clears his $5.7MM projection by a small margin of $100K on the heels of a season that saw him post a 3.53 ERA, 18 saves, 10.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 51 innings of relief. He’s controlled through 2018. Heyman tweets that the Cubs also dodged arb with Justin Grimm on a $1.825MM deal that is a near-mirror image of his $1.8MM projection. He’s a free agent after the 2019 season.

Jordy Mercer and the Pirates agreed to a one-year, $4.325MM deal, reports Matt Gajtka of DKPittsburghSports.com. He comes in $325K north of his $4MM projection on the heels of a season in which he batted .256/.328/.374 with 11 homers. Mercer has one more winter of arbitration eligibility and will be a free agent after the 2018 season.

The Mets and Travis d’Arnaud are in agreement on a one-year, $1.875MM deal, Heyman tweets. That’s $175K above the $1.7MM for the first-year arbitration catcher. Now 28 years old, d’Arnaud has yet to prove he can remain healthy and productive over the life of a full big league season. He’ll get another crack at doing so in 2017, it seems. He batted .247/.307/.323 with four homers in 276 PAs last year. The Mets also avoided arb with Addison Reed, Jeurys Familia and Lucas Duda, who are broken off into a separate post.

The Marlins and closer A.J. Ramos have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $6.55MM, tweets Heyman. The 30-year-old Ramos was Miami’s primary closer last season and turned in a 2.81 ERA (his third straight sub-3.00 mark) and 40 saves to go along with 10.3 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9 in 64 innings. Ramos comes in $250K shy of his $6.8MM projection but still earns a very healthy raise over last year’s $3.4MM salary.

Smith, 27, has a 3.68 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.23 HR/9, and a 33.3% groundball rate in 22 innings for the Brewers this year. He dealt with a torn LCL in his knee in March, making his season debut on June 2nd after rehabbing the injury. Notably, the southpaw is exhibiting nearly a two-tick decline in his average fastball as against his prior numbers, and that remains a concern. The knee is an obvious question mark in that regard, though certainly it’s possible that Smith will just need to continue building back full body strength after the injury.

Health is always an important factor, but never more than when making an investment in a player that goes into the future. While San Francisco won’t be promising any future salary to Smith, they were buying into his control rights and paid to do so. He is under team control through 2019 as an arbitration eligible player. That contract status also conveys some real upside, especially if Smith can get back to his former trajectory. He was particularly tough in 2015, with a 2.70 ERA and 12.9 K/9.

The first-place Giants have received a middling 3.76 ERA from their relievers, and paid a trade deadline premium to acquire the controllable Smith. Drafted in the seventh round by the Angels in 2008, Smith was dealt to the Royals in the 2010 Alberto Callaspo trade. Later, after the 2013 campaign, the Brewers acquired him for Nori Aoki.

Now, Milwaukee has cashed in on the southpaw — in addition to moving late-inning righty Jeremy Jeffress in a separate trade. The haul seems to be rather promising, and swaps out the valuable-but-risky seasons remaining on Smith’s control rights for many more years of control on two solid young assets.

Bickford, 21, was drafted 18th overall by the Giants last year and is currently working at High-A. In their midseason prospect rankings, Baseball America had Bickford 50th overall, while MLB.com ranked him 65th. BA says Bickford’s fastball is known for its movement, and he throws a plus slider. The jury is out on whether he’ll wind up a reliever. Bickford had been drafted tenth overall by the Blue Jays in 2013, but did not sign.

Susac, 26, could take over as the Brewers’ starting catcher if Jonathan Lucroy is traded today. Since being drafted in the second round in 2011, Susac has been blocked by Buster Posey. He did get some Major League experience in 2014 and ’15, but has spent all of this year at Triple-A. He’s hitting .273/.343/.455 in 239 plate appearances at that level.

The market for relievers is always moving on deadline day, as teams look to add pen pieces that will bolster their depth down the stretch. Fernando Abad is off the board, having been traded to the Red Sox today. We’ll keep tabs on the remaining relievers here:

While they are also pursuing larger targets, the Giants have perused the second tier of the relief market, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). While the top targets have perhaps mostly already been traded, San Francisco has scouted the Brewers’ strong group of relievers as well as increasingly valuable Rockies southpaw Boone Logan — though last we heard he may not be traded. Jeanmar Gomez of the Phillies is another name the Giants have checked, though he too isn’t sure to be dealt. And even as the Giants talk with the Rays on starter Matt Moore, the club has also watched right-handed swingman Erasmo Ramirez, per Crasnick.

The Astros are kicking around some left-handed reliever options, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitterlinks). That’s arguably the team’s biggest area of need. Some of the names mentioned include Logan and Jake McGee of the Rockies and the Brewers’ Will Smith — all of whom are at or near the remaining market for relief southpaws. It’s not immediately clear whether any are real options at this stage, as Crasnick notes that nothing has “materialized” to this point.

JULY 28, 7:11pm: The Mets are believed to be “behind” other organizations in pursuit of Lucroy, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. But it’s still a “fluid” pursuit for one of the best-available players this summer.

Heyman adds that there’s a mystery team involved. There’s another layer of intrigue here, perhaps, as that could be another report on a solitary, unidentified trying organization — or it may represent the second such unknown entrant to the sweepstakes. (See Crasnick’s report referenced below.)

4:29pm: The Brewers have “re-engaged” with the Mets on Lucroy after New York’s initial offer was reportedly deemed light, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). That doesn’t mean that the sides are anywhere close to a deal, he cautions, but it seems at least that there’s more to discuss.

3:35pm: Crasnick now tweets that the Astros aren’t believed to be in play for Lucroy, with a source telling him that Houston’s interest was previously overstated.

JULY 27, 7:35pm: The Indians have spoken to the Brewers about both Lucroy and left-handed reliever Will Smith, according to Crasnick (on Twitter). A left-handed reliever has long been said to be one of Cleveland’s top priorities, so the addition of Smith to talks is natural and one that we’ve speculated upon in the past. The 27-year-old Smith was in the mix to be Milwaukee’s closer but suffered a freak knee injury in Spring Training and missed upwards of two months due to a partially torn LCL. He somewhat improbably avoided surgery and is back in the Milwaukee ’pen, with a 3.72 ERA and an 18-to-8 K/BB ratio in 19 1/3 innings. Smith took his game from solid relief arm to lights-out lefty last season when he posted a 2.70 ERA with 12.9 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 63 1/3 innings and is controllable through 2019.

6:10pm: The Brewers’ trade talks surrounding catcher Jonathan Lucroy are picking up, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (links to Twitter). The Indians, Rangers, Mets, Astros and Red Sox have all been mentioned in connection with Lucroy, Crasnick notes, and offers being made by other clubs have become more serious recently. Crasnick adds that the the ever-popular “mystery team” may have entered the mix as well.

While that typically leads to a large amount of speculation, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports may have quickly shed some light on the matter, reporting that the Tigers are a somewhat surprising new entrant into the Lucroy market. He hypothesizes that Detroit could offer James McCann to the Brewers in a similar manner to the Mets’ reported offer of Travis d’Arnaud, though Milwaukee will want more than that in exchange. The Brewers, per Rosenthal, are seeking high-end prospects back in addition to any catcher that is offered in exchange for Lucroy.

While there’s a common belief that Lucroy will indeed be traded prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline, Rosenthal writes that the Mets feel that Milwaukee is “overreaching” in its asks for Lucroy, while AL West contenders like the Astros and Rangers are more focused on adding pitching depth than a catcher at this time. Houston is also looking at other backstops, he notes, so it’s not a guarantee that even if they move for a catcher, Lucroy would be the target. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets that the Rangers have yet to show serious interest in Lucroy and consider adding a catcher to be a “luxury” at this point, as pitching depth remains their primary focus. Those tweets came prior to Texas’ acquisition of Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez from the Braves, but one would assume that those two arms alone have not ended the Rangers’ search for pitching upgrade.

Lucroy, who turned 30 last month, is hitting .301/.362/.486 with 13 homers, 16 doubles and three triples on the season while playing excellent defense. He’s earning a modest $4MM salary in 2016 (of which about $1.46MM remains), and his contract contains an exceptionally affordable $5.25MM club option for the 2017 campaign.

With one potential relief pitching blockbuster in the works, let’s look around at some other news and rumors surrounding the bullpen market…

The Giants’ list of relief pitching targets includes Angels closer Huston Street, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman reports. Street, who turns 33 in August, is enduring by far the worst season of his 12-year career — the veteran has as many walks (11) as strikeouts over his 19 2/3 innings pitched, and he missed a month due to an oblique strain. His 5.03 K/9 would be a career low, while ERA indicators (5.69 FIP, 6.16 xFIP, 5.67 SIERA) show that Street is actually somewhat fortunate to “only” be posting a 5.03 ERA, though he also has a .358 BABIP. With around $2.8MM still owed to Street this season and $9MM for 2017, the Angels would surely have to eat a big chunk of that contract to facilitate a deal given Street’s struggles.

Andrew Cashnerhas been cited as a possible Giants target, though interestingly, Schulman reports that San Francisco could explore converting the righty into a reliever. I would guess that this scenario wouldn’t happen unless Matt Cain quickly rounds back into form. The Padres are getting a lot of interest in Cashner and are certainly demanding a “starting pitcher” price tag for him, which the Giants likely wouldn’t be willing to pay unless they were totally committed to using Cashner in the rotation.

Brewers relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith are also Giants targets, with Schulman reporting that Milwaukee has been trying to include either reliever together with Jonathan Lucroy or Ryan Braun as part of a larger trade. This tactic is of no interest to San Francisco since the Giants have no interest in Lucroy or Braun.

If the Nationals aren’t able to land Aroldis Chapman or Wade Davis, that won’t stop the team from searching for back-of-the-bullpen help, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman writes (Twitterlinks). David Robertson will surely be a target if the White Sox shop him around, and Heyman figures the Cardinals’ Trevor Rosenthal will get a look. Though St. Louis is no longer using Rosenthal as closer, Heyman isn’t sure the Cards would make him available.

The Mets are interested in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, and current Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud seems to be part of any potential package the Amazins could send to Milwaukee, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. The Brewers rejected a straight one-for-one offer of Lucroy for d’Arnaud, so as Ackert notes, the Mets’ ability to stay competitive in the race for Lucroy’s services will hinge on the caliber of prospect New York is willing to surrender along with d’Arnaud. As of Sunday, no deal between the Mets and Brewers was imminent.

Lucroy has been speculatively linked to the Mets as a possible solution to their hitting woes, though the Mets were still thought to be looking at d’Arnaud as their catcher of the future. In my recent examination of Lucroy’s trade market, I also dismissed the Mets as a possible candidate mostly due to d’Arnaud’s presence but also due to a lack of minor league depth. While New York has some impressive prospects on hand (i.e. Dominic Smith, Amed Rosario, Gavin Cecchini, Brandon Nimmo), their system is rather thin overall.

For dealing d’Arnaud and years of a controllable top prospect, the Mets would land one of the top catchers in baseball in Lucroy. Not only has Lucroy strongly bounced back after an injury-plagued 2015 season, he has re-established himself as one of the game’s top bargains. Lucroy is in the final guaranteed year of a five-year, $11MM extension signed prior to his breakout 2012 season, and there is a team option on his services for only $5.25MM for 2017. With payroll limitations still a lingering concern for the Mets, they could be particularly eager to obtain a top-tier talent at a low price.

It wasn’t too long ago that d’Arnaud was himself a sought-after commodity, as he and Noah Syndergaard headlined the trade package sent by the Blue Jays to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade in December 2012. While d’Arnaud has looked good when healthy, he has been plagued by a wide array of injuries during his brief career, missing time due to varied injuries to his hand, foot, knee, back, elbow and (most recently) a rotator cuff strain that put him on the DL earlier this season. Perhaps most troubling of all, d’Arnaud has also suffered at least three known concussions. There has already been heavy speculation that d’Arnaud will have to be moved to first base for the sake of his health, so he doesn’t necessarily protect as a replacement for Lucroy behind the plate in Milwaukee.

Lucroy may not be the only Mets target on the Milwaukee roster, as the Amazins are known to be looking for relief help and have been linked to relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith. Ackert reports that the Brewers were one of many teams recently scouting the Mets’ lower-level minor league clubs. This is just my speculation, but New York may be more willing to part with a top prospect in the Smith/Rosario/Cecchini tier if both Lucroy and one of the relievers could be obtained in the same deal.